Mysterious police 'helpers' in Turkey, jihadist banner wars in Syria, and more

Story 1: Turkey

We begin in Turkey, where police have cracked down hard on people demonstrating against the prime minister. The protests started in Istanbul, but spread across the country. There have been scattered reports of mysterious men acting alongside the police - men in plainclothes, carrying sticks. Our Observer Stratos lives in Turkey's third-biggest city, Izmir. He was present when the protests got under way there, and he tells us what he thinks of the mysterious men.

Story 2: Syria

To Syria now, and the civil war raging between Bashar al Assad and opposition rebels. The anti-Assad forces are deeply divided - most notably between secular groups and religious groups who hope to install their own version of Islam in a post-Assad Syria. But even the Islamists are divided, with different groups vying for the support of the people. Here's our observer Abu Bakr, in the city of Raqqa.

Story 3: World

Now for our weekly roundup of other reports and images sent in by our Observers.

First stop, the Republic of Congo in central Africa. Logging is a major industry there, and logging trucks are a common sight on the roads. But they're dangerous. Our Observer Crépin lives in the southern city of Pointe Noire, where accidents involving the huge trucks are common. In one recent accident, one of the huge trucks crashed into a bakery, spilling its logs onto surrounding cars and killing at least seven people. Old vehicles and poor maintenance are to blame, Crépin believes.

 
Now to the Central African Republic, with our Observer Barry. He told us about the latest vehicles to hit the streets: pickup trucks with customised paint jobs, that often resemble camouflage... Camouflage not to blend into the jungle, but to hide the fact that the trucks are in fact stolen. When rebel troops entered the capital in March, they requisitioned many vehicles, which they've now repainted. If you do recognise your truck, under the paint, it's difficult to get it back. Many of the rebels have now entered the police, Barry says, so who do you complain to?

 
Last stop, Burma. If you're among the tourists flocking to the newly opening country, beware. You might be tempted to pick up one of the traditional lyongis. They make you look cool, like the locals ... but your Burmese hosts will just think you look silly. You might end up on a Facebook page called "Tourists wearing lungis".